--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trouble with magic was that is was…" description: "\"“The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous and filled with longing. There were too many moments that made your heart stop and ache and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49c/karen-foxlee-13133_time_the-trouble-with-magic-was-that-is-was-m_1223720.jpg" --- # The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous… ![“The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous and filled with longing. There were too many moments that made your heart stop and ache and start again.” quote by Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49c/karen-foxlee-13133_time_the-trouble-with-magic-was-that-is-was-m_1223720.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49c/karen-foxlee-13133_time_the-trouble-with-magic-was-that-is-was-m_1223720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49c/karen-foxlee-13133_time_the-trouble-with-magic-was-that-is-was-m_1223720.jpg) > ““The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous and filled with longing. There were too many moments that made your heart stop and ache and start again.”” [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Magic is portrayed as alluring yet perilous, evoking intense emotions that oscillate between hope and pain. **In simple terms:** Magic is beautiful but dangerous, causing deep feelings. Key Takeaway Embrace wonder but respect its risks. Themes magic emotion risk longing heartache Mood melancholic intense reflective Type literary emotional fantasy When to use this quote - creative writing - fantasy worldbuilding - character development - emotional storytelling Key Concepts mythic allure emotional turbulence dangerous beauty Questions to Reflect On - How does longing shape our perception of danger? - When does enchantment become harmful? A Different Perspective Magic can overwhelm and distract from practical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“The Prime Minister gazed hopelessly at the pair of them for a moment, then the words he had fought to suppress all evening burst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/the-prime-minister-gazed-hopelessly-at-the-pair-of-them-for-a-moment/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [The trouble with magic is that there's too much it just can't fix. When things go wrong, glimpsing junkyard faerie and crows that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-trouble-with-magic-is-that-there-s-too-much-it-just-can-t-fix/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [“The trouble with magic is that it never really lets go. If you work one magic to undo another, you might end up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/the-trouble-with-magic-is-that-it-never-really-lets-go-if-you-work/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-trouble-is-the-other-side-can-do-magic-too-prime-minister/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I had worried that he might think of me differently, once he learned about my new powers. That the thought of being accidentally roasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eilis-o-neal/i-had-worried-that-he-might-think-of-me-differently-once-he-learned/) [Eilis O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eilis-o-neal/) > [I faced in myself a passionate and tenacious longing--to put away thought forever, and all the trouble it brings, all but the nearest desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-haines/i-faced-in-myself-a-passionate-and-tenacious-longing-to-put-away/) [John Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-haines/) > […There is the heat of Love, the pulsing rush of Longing, the lover’s whisper, irresistible—magic to make the sanest man go mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/there-is-the-heat-of-love-the-pulsing-rush-of-longing-the-lover-s/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [The artist's experience lies so unbelievably close to the sexual, to its pain and its pleasure, that the two phenomena are really just different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/the-artist-s-experience-lies-so-unbelievably-close-to-the-sexual-to/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“She pretended not to notice the look of longing in his eyes. It didn’t mean anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-brien/she-pretended-not-to-notice-the-look-of-longing-in-his-eyes-it-didn-t/) Kevin O'Brien > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Could it be in longing we are most ourselves?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/could-it-be-in-longing-we-are-most-ourselves/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Sometimes it has to do with other longings that are much more existential. Sometimes you go elsewhere not because you are not liking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/sometimes-it-has-to-do-with-other-longings-that-are-much-more/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## More by Karen Foxlee > [“If we knew everything would change we would have turned back but we didn't know. Thats how things happen. Especially sunny days hide dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/if-we-knew-everything-would-change-we-would-have-turned-back-but-we/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“But across the sea was this kingdom, and it was here I met the King," he said. "And the Snow Queen," said Ophelia, "who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/but-across-the-sea-was-this-kingdom-and-it-was-here-i-met-the-king-he/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“There is a whole week inside each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/there-is-a-whole-week-inside-each-day/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“There's no way to slow it down now it has begun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/there-s-no-way-to-slow-it-down-now-it-has-begun/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“And you might think a name is just a name, nothing but a word, but that is not the case. Your name is tacked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/and-you-might-think-a-name-is-just-a-name-nothing-but-a-word-but-that/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“I would be a wedge-tailed eagle. I would only live for the joy of flight. I would soar at great heights, on top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/i-would-be-a-wedge-tailed-eagle-i-would-only-live-for-the-joy-of/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“The tree seemed very sad to be involved in such a thing and it hung its dark head over them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-tree-seemed-very-sad-to-be-involved-in-such-a-thing-and-it-hung/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“I'm really disappointed about how you've turned out," shouted Mum like Beth was a slightly burnt biscuit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/i-m-really-disappointed-about-how-you-ve-turned-out-shouted-mum-like/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“When she stopped kissing him his hand went to her waist to pull her back. the sun beat down on us. The day quivered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/when-she-stopped-kissing-him-his-hand-went-to-her-waist-to-pull-her/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“Do you know what love is like, Rose? It's like having a sky, a whole sky racing inside you. Four seasons' worth of sky.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/do-you-know-what-love-is-like-rose-it-s-like-having-a-sky-a-whole-sky/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“A rumor grows, there in the first evening shadows, and gathers speed. A patchy, slippery, taffeta rumor. She was wearing a dress. A dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/a-rumor-grows-there-in-the-first-evening-shadows-and-gathers-speed-a/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“If i could have sung it would be a very sad song.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/if-i-could-have-sung-it-would-be-a-very-sad-song/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“The problem with magic was that it made her feel very alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/the-problem-with-magic-was-that-it-made-her-feel-very-alone/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“Old things can become new things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/old-things-can-become-new-things/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) > [“She won't come back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-foxlee/she-won-t-come-back/) [Karen Foxlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) [Explore all 51 Karen Foxlee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-foxlee/) ## More Longing quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [Sometimes it has to do with other longings that are much more existential. Sometimes you go elsewhere not because you are not liking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/sometimes-it-has-to-do-with-other-longings-that-are-much-more/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Could it be in longing we are most ourselves?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/could-it-be-in-longing-we-are-most-ourselves/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She pretended not to notice the look of longing in his eyes. It didn’t mean anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-brien/she-pretended-not-to-notice-the-look-of-longing-in-his-eyes-it-didn-t/) Kevin O'Brien > [The artist's experience lies so unbelievably close to the sexual, to its pain and its pleasure, that the two phenomena are really just different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/the-artist-s-experience-lies-so-unbelievably-close-to-the-sexual-to/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“My only enemy is the miles of distance that's there between us, my favorite place is the road that leads me to you -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jyoti-patel/my-only-enemy-is-the-miles-of-distance-that-s-there-between-us-my/) [Jyoti Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jyoti-patel/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Do the kind of things that come from the heart, When you do, you won't be dissatisfied, you won't be envious, you won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-the-kind-of-things-that-come-from-the-heart-when-you-do-you-won-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And how do you really feel? Like I'll never recover. Like I'll never draw another breath without half of it being a wish for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seville/and-how-do-you-really-feel-like-i-ll-never-recover-like-i-ll-never/) [Jane Seville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seville/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The greatest tales, well told, awaken the fears and longings of the listeners. Each man hears a different story. Each is touched by it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/the-greatest-tales-well-told-awaken-the-fears-and-longings-of-the/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) [Browse all 2,553 Longing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The trouble with magic was that is was messy and dangerous and filled with longing. 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